


The Adventures of Taste

by MintHearted



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Claude is sick, Dimitri taking care of Claude, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22204237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MintHearted/pseuds/MintHearted
Summary: Claude falls ill after a trip into Gloucester territory, so naturally Dimitri makes him some soup to help him feel better. It goes about as well as you'd expect from someone who lacks the ability to taste.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 111





	The Adventures of Taste

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't been super confident in my writing lately, but I had this super silly idea that I wanted to write! And I love these two a lot, and Dimiclaude week was super fun to see all of the wonderful writing and art that was created. So while I am very late, I hope you enjoy this small contribution to this ship!

It was supposed to be a simple trip into Gloucester territory. A quick meeting with Claude continuing to build up foreign affairs and relations between Almyra and Fódlan. The only thing he had hoped to return back to Dimitri with was a step closer to his dream. Instead, he also returned back with something dreadful.

An illness. To be specific, Lorenz’s illness.

Claude could already see through the pieces of the man’s cracked facade. He was too easy to tease, rile up, and see through. Bound by duty to his father and territory was the biggest flaunt to hide the roots of deeper issues. So with some flushed cheeks, and an insistence at lemon and honey in their tea, it wasn’t hard to deduce the situation. Still, he wonder’s how he contracted such a thing as he lies miserable in his shared bed with Dimitri.

“I can’t believe Lorenz gave me his disease.” Claude moans rather woefully beneath the covers, and it’s punctuated by a large sniff.

The dramatics cause a bit of a chuckle to rumble in Dimitri’s chest, and for a moment it allows a small smirk to paint itself onto Claude’s face. But he quickly wipes it away as he continues.

“I always knew someday Lorenz would try rubbing something off on me.” Now he’s shaking his head causing his hair to ruffle loudly against the silk pillows. “I should’ve seen this coming, your loveliness. He always was trying to get rid of me.”

“Goddess above, Claude, it’s just a cold.” Dimitri snickers.

“You will avenge me won’t you?” Now Claude peers up at his husband with huge eyes and a few innocent blinks. It has Dimitri shaking his head and trying to contain his own smile at the other’s ridiculous display.

“Of course, my beloved. But I won’t allow you to go anywhere without me.” The king’s voice is now hushed as he tucks the covers in around Claude just a little bit more.

He then reaches over to the nightstand to pick up a bowl. It’s filled to the brim with a warm, green-hued soup. Claude just hopes it tastes better than it looks as Dimitri takes a seat on the bed beside him. He helps Claude sit up with his back propped up against a stack of pillows before bringing the spoon up to his mouth.

“Be careful now. It may still be a little hot.” Dimitri encourages gently before Claude blows on it ever so slightly. The action causes him to begin coughing which only startles Dimitri and the spoon creaks. There’s a flash of panic in the blond’s eye before Claude waves his hand back over to try again.

With lips closed around the spoon, Claude brings the soup into his mouth. He has limited taste through his stuffed nose and congested chest, but as soon as the liquid hits his tongue it immediately tastes like earth. If he had known any better he could just as easily be licking the dirt off of his boots and eating the grass that the horses would chew at in the fields. What didn’t help was the overwhelming amount of salt that stung his tastebuds. He feels his lips pucker and his jaw beginning to sting in his distaste. In fact it feels like it takes all of him to not spit it out all over the two of them.

But as he looks up he sees Dimitri’s gaze still on him. It’s expectant, and maybe even a bit hopeful, as he watches Claude try the first little bit of food he’s had all evening. Claude takes the thickest swallow of his entire life to get the sludge down and even if he weren’t sick he knows it would sit just as sourly in him from the taste alone. But Dimitri is watching and he already has enough on his plate. The last thing he needs is another worry or thing to berate himself about.

So Claude gives out an exaggerated ‘ _mmmm_ ’ as he motions for another spoonful. The look on Dimitri’s face brightens considerably as they go through the rhythm of forcing a few more mouthfuls into Claude’s stomach. It’s only once the bowl is about halfway done when Claude feels like he can’t eat anymore.

“Dima, I — I think I’m full now.” Claude coughs again, this time more of a cover as he turns his gaze away. His palate needs to be cleansed immediately. Thank whatever goddess is out there that he’s lost most of his sense of taste with this illness for he’s sure he wouldn’t be able to keep it down otherwise. “How about some tea?”

“Oh! Yes, I’ll get that for you right away. But please, try to finish the soup. You need to keep your strength up.” As Dimitri goes to stand, he places the bowl onto Claude’s lap before leaning over and pressing a kiss to his warm forehead. “I’ll also go get another vial of medicine. You feel like you’re coming down with a fever again.”

A smile appears back onto Claude’s face as he watches Dimitri retreat outside of their room. Just before the door clicks shut with his husband’s quick steps Claude calls out, “take your time! I’ll be right here!”

Silence now crowds the room, and Claude waits a few moments as he listens for the footfalls to get quiet and farther away. It’s only when he can no longer hear Dimitri does he slowly raise his aching body up from the bed.

With the soup in hand he goes to the balcony and opens the doors to be met with the frozen Faerghus air. It sends a chill down his spine as he steps out onto the snow covered floor. His toes freeze, and so he quickly dumps the remains of the bowl down towards the grounds below. The contrast of the soup to the pure white snow is horrifying on its own, but he hopes with the continuing fall of snowflakes it will go undetected.

Once he’s satisfied with how relatively empty the bowl is, he makes his way back inside to quickly stuff his feet back under the covers with a shiver. He sets the bowl back beside him on the bed and waits.

He feels awful for not finishing it all as requested. Dimitri must’ve went through so much trouble especially with not being able to taste after the Tragedy. But still, how could he break his heart when he was doing so much for him? Especially on the chance that he too would catch this illness in time. Maybe one day he’d tell him. That or he’d corner Dedue and Ashe to help further their king’s abilities. But for now seeing Dimitri smile would be enough, and hopefully one day his soup making skills will actually be edible.

So for now he settles back into the pillows until Dimitri returns. When he does it’s with a tea tray stacked with two cups, a kettle, and a small glass vial. It’s set down right onto the nightstand once more as Dimitri takes his spot beside Claude on the bed again.

First the vial is picked up, uncapped, and pressed to Claude’s lips. The medicine is bitter, but in comparison to the soup it’s a bit more bearable. Next comes one of the tea cups as Dimitri places himself a bit more under the covers and rests beside Claude.

“Here you go. I wasn’t sure what would help, so I just made some lavender and rose tea to hopefully calm your nerves.” Curled up beside Claude, Dimitri continues to hold the cup to help him drink. For while Claude himself was capable he did have to admit that it was nice being pampered for once in his life — especially by the person he loved most. So he easily accepts as Dimitri speaks again. “I see you finished the soup.”

“Ahhh, yeah I did.” Claude mutters as he tries to chase the teacup with his lips when it’s pulled away. But he finds himself failing as Dimitri moves it out of the way to take the bowl off of the bed and places it onto the tray.

“I’m glad. I’ve been trying to get better at my cooking skills.” Now the cup returns, and Claude continues to sip away.

Silence fills the room again as Claude tries to move away from the topic of the horrific tasting soup. Instead, he finishes his cup of tea feeling his throat be soothed as he turns to bury his head into Dimitri’s chest.

“Time for a nap. What do you say, your loveliness? Can you afford to sleep with your frail husband?”

Dimitri scoffs as he reaches to place the cup down before wrapping his arms around Claude. He rests his chin on his head with a soft sigh and a kiss to his hair. “If it’ll help you feel better than I will oblige.”

“Good, because the only cure to this is love which Lorenz will never find. So while I will get better he’s screwed.”

A laugh escapes Dimitri and the whole bed begins to shake. “Rest, my beloved. Lorenz can’t get you here.”

With a hum, Claude closes his eyes. He presses himself further up against Dimitri and the taller man yelps at the touch of Claude’s frozen toes against his ankle.

“Claude! Why does it feel like you’ve been walking through snow?”

“It’s cold without you in this bed, Dimitri. Now shhh. I gotta get some rest.”

As Claude begins to fake snore and Dimitri rolls his eye, the king knows he’ll always be fond of this crazy Master Tactician he’s lucky to call his. Even if he did see the soup falling down into the snow from the floor below as he fetched their tea.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me at @MintHearted on Twitter! FE has basically dominated all that I post there.


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